1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a drive and coupler arrangement for operating an icemaker auger for a refrigerator.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Providing an icemaker in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator is widely known in the art. In general, the icemaker forms ice cubes which are stored in a bin or hopper for later retrieval by a consumer. The ice cubes can be manually removed from the bin or, alternatively, dispensed through a door dispenser. Often times, in refrigerators that incorporate door dispensers, the icemaker will include a mechanism for selectively crushing the ice cubes. In any event, the bin is occasionally removed from the freezer compartment, either to remove a large number of ice cubes, or simply for cleaning purposes.
When the icemaker is employed in combination with a door dispenser, an auger is provided in the bin. The auger is typically operated by a drive member mounted in the freezer compartment and selectively rotated to deliver ice cubes to the dispenser, often with the auger rotating in a first direction to deliver ice cubes to the dispenser and in a second direction to deliver crushed ice. In order to allow the bin to be removed from the freezer compartment, the auger must be connected to the drive member through a detachable coupler. When re-inserting the bin into the freezer compartment, the coupler and the drive member can be misaligned, resulting in difficulties in replacing the bin and/or improper auger operation.
Based on the above, despite the presence of icemakers in the prior art, there still exists a need for an icemaker employing a coupler that ensures proper alignment when replacing an ice bin in a freezer compartment. More specifically, there exists a need for a coupler that easily interconnects with a drive member, yet still ensures a positive connection when driving an auger to dispense either cubed or crushed ice.